The Prince
by A-Golden-Flower
Summary: The prince named Asriel has survived the attack from when he went to the surface, and even a divorce of his parents afterward. Now he's fully grown, with proper duties as the King's son. He's been raised to hate humans, but what will happen when he meets a small child who resembles his fallen sibling? Rated T just in case. The cover image belongs to D-Dyee on DeviantArt. AU.
1. Prologue

**Undertale doesn't belong to me.**

* * *

Asriel stumbled underground. He felt Chara's soul desperately trying to drive him back out the barrier, back to the village of the humans. _Go back!_ they ordered, willing his legs to move. _Our job isn't done there! Go back!_

 _No, Chara_ , he thought stubbornly, forcing his legs to keep going down. _What would that solve? We could start a second war between humans and monsters. It isn't worth it._ He felt his fresh wounds sting. He stopped and looked down at his left paw. It had two fingers blown off it, which had been painful and in fact still was. _Mom's magic might not be able to heal that_ , he told himself, then continued.

Once Asriel stumbled into the castle that he and his parents lived in, he forcibly ejected Chara's soul. His once powerful and large form had been replaced with his usual small child body. The bright red heart floated in front of him, emitting a pleasant glow that made him feel safe. Yet he knew better. Chara had been more bloodthirsty and hostile than he'd ever known. _It's time for you to rest_ , he silently told them, reaching his paws out. It floated in them, hovering about an inch.

"Asriel, there you are!" Toriel said, running up to him. She leaned down to wrap her arms tightly around him, but she noticed the human soul and hesitated. "Asriel, why do you have Chara's soul?"

"It's a long story," Asriel replied, then proceeded to explain everything to his mother. He neared tears when he came to the part where he and Chara had decided to poison them.

"It's alright," Toriel comforted him when he'd finished his explanation. He was barely holding back from crying. She rubbed his back. "I'm glad you told me, Asriel. Chara may be dead now, but there's nothing we can do except mourn. Stay here and hold their soul for me, will you? Don't absorb it, and don't destroy it. I'll go get a container to store it."

Asriel nodded as Toriel walked away. He sat and waited where they were right by the stairwell. It wasn't long before the goat monster returned, holding a cylinder-shaped plastic container. She popped the bottom off, took the soul from Asriel, and stuck it inside before replacing the bottom.

"Your father had gone to search for you throughout New Home, but I decided to stay here in case you came back," Toriel told her son while she did so. "He'll surely come back later when he hasn't found you, so that's when I shall tell him everything you've told me."

Asriel nodded again. "That's okay," he sniffed, having cried a small bit.

"In the meantime, would you like to help me put Chara's body into the coffin?" Toriel asked. "I had someone go order one and bring it here. I decided you deserved to be there while it happened."

"Sure," Asriel responded. "I guess so."

Toriel then lifted her paws and had pale flames appear in them. _Healing flames_ , he thought. He dealt with the sharp sting of healing when it was touched to each and every wound he had.

"Now go wash yourself up," Toriel ordered. "Then we'll get you into some clean clothes, and get started."

Asriel nodded. He went down to the nearest stream, because his parents' castle didn't have a bathing room like some houses did, and scrubbed his snowy white coat clean of blood. His two lost fingers hadn't regrown, but fur had sprung up in their place. He even used a bit of soap to get rid of any remaining smell or stains. Then, he wrapped himself in the large towel he'd brought along and quickly padded back to the castle.

Asriel dropped his dirty outfit in the basket, then dried himself off in his room. He noticed that Toriel had left him a new, completely identical set of clothes. He changed quickly, put away the towel and soap, and found his mother in the living room - where Chara had died. His older sibling's body was surely stiff by now, and its skin had gained a greenish tone. There was a light gray coffin with a red heart on the lid and engravings underneath: "Chara." It all made him feel sick, especially since he could only wonder how they prepared a specialized coffin so quickly, but he approached anyway.

He and Toriel lifted Chara's corpse into the coffin, then set it down gently. Their head laid so calmly on the white pillow that it looked as if they were still alive, if you ignored the skin tone. Toriel lifted a paw and shut the child's amberish-brown eyes. Asriel could tell that his mother was holding back tears for the sake of looking strong in front of him.

Asriel lifted the lid and set it down over the coffin, closing it off. "What will we do with their soul?" he asked.

"Your father and I will discuss that matter later," Toriel decided. "For now, just go and play. Maybe visit Gaster, if you want. You haven't gone there in months. He's taken on an apprentice, remember? You might want to meet her."

Asriel wasn't sure he wanted to leave his grieving mother alone, but he agreed anyway and headed off to the lab in Hotland. When he returned a few hours later, he found that the coffin in the living room was gone; they must've buried it already. The container that the soul was in was also absent. He walked over to his parents' room and lifted a paw to turn the knob, but he heard arguing and decided to quietly listen in.

"For the final time, Gorey, he's fine!" Toriel said.

"No, he isn't!" Asgore shouted, and Asriel was shaken by the amount of anger that was held in it. "Those humans almost killed our _son_ , Tori! Don't you want to do something about that?"

"No!" Toriel replied. "The humans attacked him, yes, but that's no reason to wage war."

"I don't care," Asgore insisted. "I'm killing any human that comes down here. And Chara is just an example of what happens when we get attached. I'll collect every soul of every dirty _human_ that dares come down the mountain, and I'll free all monsters. Then, mankind will truly regret what they've done." His tone held foreboding that sent a chill down Asriel's back.

"In that case, Asgore, I can no longer be with you," Toriel told him. "I'm sorry, but you're not the monster I once knew. The true Asgore would never _dream_ of doing what you want to do."

"Fine, go then!" Asgore yelled. "Who needs you anyway?"

 _They're fighting over me and my decision_ , Asriel realized, deciding he should step in. He turned the knob and flung the door open. "Stop!" he shouted.

Asgore and Toriel turned to look at him, their eyes wide with shock. "Asriel, go to your room," Asgore ordered gently, taking a few steps forward. "We'll have dinner in a little while, don't worry."

"I'm not worried about _dinner_ ," Asriel said. "I'm worried about _you_! I don't want you two to fight; you're my parents. What'll _I_ do if you split up?"

Toriel gasped, saying quietly, "I hadn't thought of that." Then she approached Asriel as well, and knelt down so that she was at eye level with him. "Asriel, you must understand. It's for the best we part ways. Your father has changed due to what's happened, and it's dangerous to remain here."

"It isn't!" Asgore insisted. " _You_ can go, but _I'm_ keeping Asriel. He's the future King of the underground, after all."

"You'll just taint his soul with lies and propaganda," Toriel retorted. " _I'm_ taking him."

"Why don't _I_ decide?" Asriel asked, despite not wanting to. He wanted both parents, not one.

"Yes, good idea," Asgore agreed. "You can think about it for as long as you want, Asriel. Whenever you've made your decision, just tell us. Alright?"

"We won't judge you for whatever you choose," Toriel added.

Asriel nodded slowly, then his parents stood and walked over to where Chara's soul sat in its container on the desk. He sat on the floor, watching them.

"What shall we do with this?" Toriel asked, then immediately added, "You're _not_ using it to break the barrier."

"I wasn't going to!" Asgore insisted. "But you're right, we should decide what to do."

"Maybe we can keep it with the coffin?" Toriel offered. "As a memory of Chara?"

After agreeing to it, Asgore left the room - presumably to make himself some tea. Toriel took the container and left with it. Asriel found out later that they hadn't even buried the coffin - they just put it in the empty basement, which was where the soul ended up as well.

Asriel thought long and hard about his decision. It took him an entire week, of which Toriel slept on the couch and refused contact with her ex-husband, to make his mind up. He gathered both of his parents after dinner that night and sat with them at the dining room table.

"I've decided," he sighed.

"Well? Who do you want to stay with, my child?" Toriel's magenta eyes were hopeful.

This made Asriel feel guilty, because he immediately replied with, "...Dad."

Toriel's face took on a look of disappointment and grief. "My child... if that's what you wish, then I approve. I won't try to change your mind."

"I'll come visit you!" Asriel promised.

Toriel shook her head, telling him, "I love you and will miss you dearly, but please never visit where I'm going. By leaving, I'm choosing to discard everything I don't take with me."

"Where are you going?" her son asked curiously.

"Home."


	2. Chapter 1

**Undertale doesn't belong to me.**

* * *

Asriel's visit to Snowdin had never meant to change his life. It had simply been a vacation of sorts. The goat monster had just passed his role as Head of the Royal Guard to a close friend and former trainee, Undyne. He'd decided that the role had cost him too much regarding energy, so he gave it to the monster he felt deserved it most. Anyway, he loved Snowdin. The happy town was always a great place to escape to whenever he felt too stressed. He'd simply ask Asgore if he could go out for a few days, get permission, and enjoy his stay.

Asriel had just checked into the hotel there that belonged to a rabbit and her young daughter. He pulled his luggage in and sat it down by one of the nightstands. He would've gotten a discount if he hadn't insisted to the owner that it wasn't necessary, and that he could pay the fee like a normal customer. He laid in the large bed for a few moments, relishing in the wonderful feel of the place. Everything felt so homey, so comfortable. He could never get tired of Snowdin.

After he'd had his fill of lying in the bed, Asriel got up and left the hotel. He stopped by the little shop nearby and made small talk with the rabbit there who had sold him a cinnamon bun. He ate it quickly, said his goodbyes, and moved onto the library. He was used to folks looking at him with astonishment and admiration, so the stares he experienced while checking out a thick leatherbound book didn't affect him whatsoever. He took the book and left.

Asriel noticed two skeletons trekking about. One was tall and loud, while the other was small and comedic. He watched them for a few minutes, curious. The tall one seemed to notice him, and his cheekbones turned slightly pinkish as he spoke to the smaller one. The goat monster decided to introduce himself, although he knew the duo likely already knew who he was.

"Greetings," he said once he was in front of them. "My name is Asriel Dreemurr. Who might you two be?"

"I'm Sans," the small one replied. "Sans the skeleton. This is my little brother, Papyrus."

"Oh, wowee!" Papyrus squealed, as if he were a child. "I'm finally meeting the Prince!"

"He's been wantin' to meet'cha from the amount Undyne says about ya," Sans explained.

"It's an honor to meet you, Papyrus," Asriel said with a smile, which caused Papyrus to go slightly redder. "Say, why don't you two come and visit New Home sometime?"

"In a big city?" Sans said. "Nah. Not my type'a thing. But Paps can go, if he wants."

"You want to, Papyrus?" Asriel asked. "We could even eat somewhere fancy. My treat."

"Oh, dinner with the Prince...!" Papyrus said. "Yes, I'll go!"

Asriel felt good about treating monsters. He'd done this many times: spent a little time with a random stranger, then mostly never spoke to them again except small talk during accidental encounters. For some reason, he was regarded even higher than Asgore concerning social factors. _Perhaps because I don't wander around all the time and talk to everyone?_ he thought. _I mostly stay in the castle unless it's for business or for a vacation. Monsters basically think that talking to me is more valuable than talking to Dad. And that's... strange, to say the least._

"Glad to hear it!" Asriel chuckled. "I'll be in Snowdin for the next two days, so you can come anytime after that."

"Why're you in such a small town anyway?" Sans asked, seemingly out of curiosity. "Ya get bored in that giant city?"

"Nah, I just like vacationing here," Asriel responded. "It's strange, you know. Somehow this is the first time I've seen you two, despite coming here every so often."

Sans averted his gaze. "Heh... yeah," he murmured, then brightened as if nothing had happened. "So ya wanna go to Grillby's? You'll be treatin' my brother, after all."

"No, thank you," Asriel refused politely with an apologetic glance. "I just ate."

"Well, it's been nice seein' ya anyway," Sans said. "C'mon, Paps. We gotta go scout for humans."

"Ah, yes!" Papyrus agreed. "Human scouting, as I like to call it. Well, Prince Asriel, I've gotta go!"

"Goodbye, you two," Asriel said.

After they left, he continued on with his day and didn't have a second thought about them until he saw them just as night was settling in. The artifical lights on the ceiling were gradually dimming, creating the illusion of the sun setting. They were entering their little house.

"Hello!" Asriel greeted them, waving his right paw. When they turned to look at him, he told them, "You have a good night. See you in the morning."

"Yes, see you!" Papyrus said cheerfully, lifting an orange-gloved hand to wave enthusiastically.

Sans grinned, as usual, and waved before going inside with his brother.

Nothing about those skeletons was supposed to be important. They were quirky, yes, but that didn't mean anything special. Asriel had simply thought of them as simple citizens that wouldn't change him whatsoever, but he'd realized how wrong he was soon enough.

A week after Asriel had returned back to New Home, he heard a knock on the castle door. Papyrus stood there, sporting his usual outfit.

"Hello, Prince Asriel!" he greeted.

"Good to see you, Papyrus," Asriel said, glad he'd remembered the name. "It's about dinnertime. Are you here for that treat I offered?"

"Yes, I am!" Papyrus replied.

"Well, it's good I haven't eaten yet then," Asriel chuckled. "Let me grab my gold, and we can head on out."

He headed back to his room and grabbed his handmade leather pounch off his desk. Gerson, a good friend of his father's, had it specifically made for the Prince by a professional leathersmith for his eighteenth birthday. "This is better than that little cloth bag," he'd advised.

The pouch was quite large, and that was because Asriel usually carried a good amount of funds with him. While he stored most of it at home, he wanted to make sure he never ran out while off on business or vacation. That was one of his paranoias, strangely.

Asriel stuffed it in his coat pocket. Unlike his father, who wore a giant purple cloak, he wore a simple outfit consisting of dark blue jeans and boots with a coat over a sweater. He dressed warmly, but that was fine by him; he could never be too warm.

Asriel led Papyrus to his favorite restaurant, one owned by a family of snake monsters. It was a mystery how they knew how to cook without hands or paws, but their food was best. They got seated somewhere, and they ordered their drinks. After the waiter went off to get them, Asriel began making small talk with Papyrus. It began with 'how is Sans', 'what have you been up to', etc. However, it got weirder the longer it continued.

"So how's the human scouting been going?" Asriel asked.

"Oh, successf- _un_ successful," Papyrus quickly corrected himself.

Asriel's eyes widened. "Successful?" he echoed, catching the original word. "How so, Papyrus?"

Papyrus suddenly seemed worried. "Oh, well... we thought that we'd caught a human, but it was just that dinosaur kid playing around," he explained.

"But surely you'd know by now that the child wasn't an actual human, so why'd you originally say that you had?" Asriel asked, suddenly suspicious. Had another human wandered into the underground?

Papyrus's phone suddenly went off. "I'm sorry, I have to take this," he said, quickly excusing himself to outside.

Papyrus was suddenly acting uncharacteristic, and it only furthered Asriel's suspicions. Would one of his own citizens truly hide the fact that another human had fallen underground, especially when they only needed one more soul to be free? It made no sense. While the skeleton was gone, the waiter returned with the drinks. Asriel was glad that Papyrus returned just in time to order his meal. After the waiter left again, Asriel decided to pry more.

"Who called?" he asked.

"Oh, a friend," Papyrus replied.

"And why'd they call?"

"Just to ask about something."

"What's that?"

"A... a room in Waterfall."

"Waterfall?" Asriel's brows raised. "Undyne, is it?"

"N-no," Papyrus stuttered nervously.

"That ghost, Napstablook?"

"Not them, either."

Asriel had grown more and more suspicious. "Who then?" he interrogated.

Papyrus had somehow begun to sweat. He remained silent for the rest of the time, even when Asriel changed subjects. After the bill had been paid, Asriel offered to take him back to the castle.

"I could give you the grand tour," he added, hoping to get a chance to squeeze more information out of his guest.

"No, Sans wants me back," Papyrus said. "Sorry."

Asriel nodded slowly. "Nice to see you again, Papyrus. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Asriel turned and began heading back to the castle, but he looked over his shoulder to see Papyrus rapidly walking the opposite way. He hesitated. _Am I really doing this?_ he asked himself. _Yes. Yes, I am._ He slunk into the shadows, as the artificial lights had darkened by now, and followed the tall skeleton from a distance. He stepped lightly as to not send tremors through the hard gray ground.

It wasn't long before Papyrus made it to the Riverperson's boat in Waterfall, and he asked for a ride back to Snowdin. The boat was taking off just as Asriel got there. He sighed and anxiously waited. When the Riverperson returned, he hitched a ride as well. He hopped onto the snow, hearing it crunch underneath his boots. He ran over to where the skeletons' house was, and noticed that all lights were off. He sighed.

 _You're hiding something, Papyrus. I know you are. But what could it be? And why not tell even your Prince?_


	3. Chapter 2

**Undertale doesn't belong to me.**

* * *

The next morning, Asriel was sitting at the dining room table with Asgore. The King had made them some tea, but hadn't even attempted to cook; they knew it'd taste terrible. The prince knew that his father would have to know about his suspicions.

"Dad?" he said.

"Yes, Asriel?" Asgore replied, taking a sip of his golden flower tea.

"I met this skeleton in Snowdin last I visited, and the other night I treated him to dinner," Asriel explained. "But it seems like he's hiding something. I asked about humans, since he patrols for them, and he suddenly got all weird. I'm thinking there's another underground and he's hiding it."

Asgore thought for a moment and responded, though rather hesitantly. "...Yes, I suppose."

"Would you like me to go search for it myself?" his son asked.

"Yes, well... no, I mean. The Royal Guard can take care of it."

"Are you feeling alright?" Asriel said, concerned. "You seem really distracted and uneasy."

"Listen, son. Listen." Asgore set his tea cup on its saucer and looked up, making eye contact with the younger monster. "I'm starting to think, you know... perhaps we made a mistake. Actually, that's a lie. From the very day that your mother left this castle, I've regretted declaring war. I miss her so much. But I always thought, you know, that... it was too late. That the damage had been done. And especially now, since we have six human souls out of seven. But perhaps, we could ask her for Chara's and break the barrier? Then, we could make amends."

"I don't think it'll be that easy," Asriel began, but was cut off.

"Yes, I know. But it still might work, couldn't it?" Asgore's colorless eyes were hopeful.

Asriel shrugged. "She's gone, though," he said. "We don't have any idea where she is."

"She said where she was going the night you decided to stay," Asgore reminded him. "She said she was going home, right? I think she meant the _place_ Home."

"Good point," Asriel agreed. "But that still doesn't help us. Home is locked up and closed off to the rest of the underground. How would we get in there? We couldn't force ourselves in, because she'd see it as a sign of aggression."

Asgore nodded. "And that's why I propose _you_ going. Alone. Do some research, see if you can meet anyone who's been in there. I know there has to be _someone_."

"And then what?"

"You have them take you in. Simple. It'll probably be difficult, but I'm willing to try anything to get her back."

After agreeing, Asriel finished his tea and headed off to Snowdin; he knew that the snowy village was where he was likely to get help. He settled into the library and began scanning the history books. However, the ones that weren't outdated had no helpful information. He tried using the computers to research as well, but nothing came up. That's when he knew he'd have to interrogate citizens.

Asriel left the library and immediately spotted Sans. He walked over, but remembered the human theory he had. _Does Sans know anything?_ he wondered, deciding to ask Sans indirectly about it later.

"Greetings!" he said.

Sans looked up. "Heya," he greeted back. "It's 'bout lunchtime. Ya wanna join me at Grillby's?"

Asriel nodded, and followed him to the diner. They sat up at the bar and each ordered a serving of fries. While Grillby was in the back making them, Asriel decided to make conversation. "So uh, how're things?" he asked, deciding to start off slow. "Anything new?"

"Eh, not really," Sans shrugged. "Just bein' a sentry, y'know."

"Found anything?" Asriel pressed.

Sans seemed to be able to tell what the goat monster was doing. "Nah," he replied. "Just a borin' ol' job as ever."

Asriel nodded slowly and was about to try again, but Grillby returned with their order. Asriel looked down at the fries, his mouth watering. _Having just tea for breakfast really made me hungry_ , he thought.

"Y'want some ketchup?" Sans offered, holding out a bottle.

Asriel shook his head. "Never been a fan," he said.

Sans shrugged. "A'ight. More f'me then." He bent his head back, opened the bottle, and drank some of it. The prince was surprised, but he didn't say anything.

Asriel ate a few fries as seconds ticked by. He decided to pry about Home next. "So you know that huge door in this town?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yep," Sans replied. "Why d'ya ask?"

"You ever been through?" His eyes scanned the short skeleton, but found nothing.

"Nah. My sentry's near there, but I never bother it."

"Is that true?" Asriel asked. "Because..." He hesitated; should he give such confidential information away? He decided to disguise it slightly. "I think there's someone living in there."

Sans seemed surprised. "S'do I," he agreed.

Asriel stared at him. "And why's that?"

"Heard 'em," Sans replied. "Prob'ly just some ghost. Nothin' to worry 'bout."

"Do you know of any way in?" Asriel inquired. "And please be honest. This is really important to me."

Sans studied the prince for a long moment. It seemed like he was trying to tell how genuine he was being. Eventually, he sighed, "Fine. I know a shortcut I could show ya."

Asriel breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

They finished eating in silence. Afterward, Sans stood from the stool and said, "Grillbz, just put the bill on my tab."

"I can pay for mine," Asriel said to the fire elemental.

"Nah, I'll cover it," Sans told him. "Now c'mon."

Asriel got up and followed the skeleton. They walked outside, and Sans stopped. "Just close your eyes when I tell you."

Asriel felt a little suspicious, but nodded in agreement anyway. They began heading towards behind the brothers' house, and Sans said, "Close 'em." The prince obeyed, and found himself opening his eyes to see a long hallway with purple flooring.

"You're welcome," Sans told him. "See ya." Then he turned and headed one way.

Asriel went the opposite way, deciding not to ponder on the odd "shortcut", and eventually came to a door. He pushed on it, relieved to find that it opened with ease. He recognized the purple brick walls that were in the basement of the old castle. He'd been young when they'd made the journey across the underground to make more space, but he could clearly remember every detail.

Asriel walked until he came to the staircase, and he climbed them. Once he stepped on the wood floor of his old home, he immediately felt slightly sad. In a different life, perhaps he would've chosen to go with Toriel and would've walked over this too many times to be bothered. He remembered that the layout was similar to New Home's castle, and so he ventured into the dining room. He saw Toriel wearing her reading glasses, asleep in her chair, clutching a book.

Asriel backed out of the room as tears began forming in his eyes. He'd promised Toriel that he wouldn't ever visit her, but he still missed his mother with every passing day. The longing for her that he'd felt never went away. Did Asgore feel the same way? _Of course he does_ , he told himself. _He never wanted her to leave, really. Him saying so was a mistake caused by anger and grief._

Asriel slowly walked back into the dining room, wiping his tears away with a paw. Shaking slightly, he approached the chair that held the sleeping goat monster. He held out his paw and gently shook her awake. Her magenta eyes flickered open behind her glasses. She jumped when she saw him standing before her, dropping her book to the ground.

"Asriel?" she gasped, jumping to her feet.

Asriel nodded, wordless.

"I-I..." It seemed Toriel was the same. "What are you doing here? I told you to never visit!"

"I couldn't stay away," Asriel said, which was true. He realized that even if Asgore had never requested this, he likely would've tried to do so anyway. "Oh, Mom... I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, my little Asriel," Toriel said, reaching up to hug him.

Asriel felt weird being taller than his mother. As he hugged her, he rested his muzzle on her head. They pulled away after a long moment. "Mom, you should come back," he said.

Toriel immediately turned from happy and surprised to stern. "No," she told him. "I'm not returning. Do you know how many humans have passed through here? Seven, that's how many. And you-"

"Wait, hold on," Asriel interrupted. " _Seven_? We've only seen six."

Toriel opened her mouth, but promptly shut it. "I-I meant six," she said after a long time.

"No, you didn't," Asriel said. "You've seen another, haven't you? I knew it!"

Just as Asriel was turning to leave, Toriel grabbed his arm. He swiftly turned back around. "Let go!" he snapped. "If you won't come with me back to New Home, then there's no point in letting our last chance at escaping get away."

"You won't kill that child!" Toriel told him. "You've already taken six."

"Yes, and that human will be the seventh," Asriel retorted, yanking his arm out of her grasp. In a blaze of anger and a feeling of betrayal, he left Home as quickly as he could.

When he got to a large set of doors, he pushed on them as hard as he could. They popped open to reveal Snowdin. He entered the snowy town and began racing to the skeletons' house. _They lied to me!_ he thought angrily. He knocked on the door loudly once he arrived.

Papyrus opened the door. "Prince Asriel!" he greeted the other monster cheerfully. "What-"

"You lied to me," Asriel growled. "You said that you found nothing, and so did your brother. But there's another human underground. Where are you hiding them?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Papyrus claimed, very obviously lying.

"Papyrus, both of you will face terrible punishment if you don't come clean," Asriel told him.

"Calm down, will ya?" Sans said, appearing out of seemingly nowhere. "Y'should look at yourself. You're actin' like a madman."

Asriel realized that the skeleton was right. He took multiple deep breaths and sat down on the stairs, trying to calm himself down.

"Stay inside, Paps," Sans told his brother. "I'll talk to him."

The door shut, and Sans plopped down beside the prince. "I-I'm sorry," Asriel said. "I was just so angry that I'd been lied to..."

"Y'can't blame us, can ya?" Sans asked. "After all, that human's not half bad."

"My dad... he wants to stop hunting humans," Asriel admitted. "He wanted the Queen to come back and give up-" He broke off. "Have you heard of a human named Chara?"

"Trust me, I've heard of more than ya prob'ly know," Sans replied.

Suddenly, a monster rushed up to them. "Mom?!" Asriel said.

There Toriel stood. "I'm so sorry, Asriel," she told him. "You're right. I cannot forgive your father, but I also cannot allow him to take that human's soul. If I want to protect the human, I must do it physically; I can't just tell you what to do."

"He doesn't _want_ to," Asriel assured her. "If you'd just come with us and give up Chara's soul, then we could break the barrier. We could go to the surface and start anew. Then those six humans wouldn't have died for nothing."

"I... have a confession," Toriel said slowly. "Chara's soul was... it was lost a long time ago."

* * *

 **Characters may be a little OOC in this chapter, and I apologize if they are.**


End file.
